The 49ers are in a unique place in the NFL hierarchy. To insulate themselves from their perils of going all-in to find a superstar quarterback, they’ve built a roster that’s somewhat quarterback-proof. The level of play required for them at that position is lower than the average team thanks to a well-designed offense by head coach Kyle Shanahan, a glut of offensive playmakers, and a defense that has a case to be the NFL’s best.
While San Francisco has built out a terrific roster that allows them to be in the contender conversation despite more offseason turmoil under center, it’s still not the NFL’s best according to ESPN. In fact, it is neither the best roster in the NFC, nor is it top five in the NFL in a ranking from the Worldwide Leader.
